Honey Roasted Butternut Squash with Cranberries and Feta

Who has two thumbs and just rocked her self-implemented post deadline!? This girl! Of course it took posting a photo of this plate-o-yum on IG to give me the push I needed. I have some very awesome friends with some very impatient squash (squashes? squashi? I think I'm overthinking this!) awaiting this recipe. I had to deliver!

Without further adieu, here’s my all-time favorite butternut squash recipe. Hands-down. No question. This savory sweet side dish is perfect for the holidays; make it!

Well, make it now, and then make it AGAIN for the holidays. All of them. Duh.

• 1 large butternut squash, peeled chopped
• a hearty drizzle of olive oil (approx 1-2 TBSP)
• salt, pepper, and garlic powder, to taste
• 2 cups fresh cranberries
• 2-3 TBSP honey
• ¼ cup finely crumbled feta
• ground cinnamon, to taste (optional but delicious!)
• fresh or dried parsley, to garnish (optional)

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Lightly drizzle or spritz a baking sheet with olive oil.
3. Add cubed squash to the sheet along with another drizzle of olive oil.
4. Sprinkle with a light layer of salt, pepper, and garlic powder, based on taste preference.
5. Roast at 400 F for 25 minutes on the center rack.
6. At the 25 minute mark, pull out the oven rack, and add your fresh cranberries to the roasting pan.
7. Return to the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the cranberries have started to soften and burst a bit, resembling really juicy craisins vs fresh firm cranberries.
8. Remove from oven and add a sprinkle of cinnamon (approx ⅛-1/4 tsp depending on preference) along with feta and honey.
9. Garnish with parsley for a burst of color and dig in while it’s hot!

So I read somewhere that when honey is cooked it loses a lot of it’s coveted antibacterial properties, boo. I still bake with it because it’s an awesome natural sweetener and I adore it so, but if I have the option to keep it as close to raw as possible, I do. Hence adding the honey after roasting the squash and cranberries in this recipe. The fruit and veggie medley is still just warm enough to allow the honey to cover the dish as a deliciously sweet glaze, but not so scorching that it’s spending 30 minutes in my oven losing all it’s fabulous benefits. File this under things I tell myself so I can eat more honey.

This simple side can be whipped up with just a few fresh ingredients and is loaded with Fall flavor! As an added bonus, as the butternut squash roasts away it fills the house with the most delicious aromas. I had to hold myself back from climbing in the oven with it after the twenty minute mark. It was a little less Sylvia Plath and a little more was more “LET ME AT THAT SQUASH!” I may have stolen a few cubes to munch on when I added the cranberries. So good!

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